Role of sex steroids in progesterone and corticosterone response to acute restraint stress in rats: sex differences

Abstract

Adrenal progesterone secretion increases along with corticosterone in response to stress in male and female rats to modulate some stress responses. Here we investigated the role of sex steroids in sex differences in the progesterone response to 60 min of restraint stress in adult male and female rats. Comparisons between males and females in the progesterone response were evaluated in parallel with corticosterone responses. From day 5 to 7 after gonadectomy, female and male rats were treated with estradiol or testosterone, respectively (OVX-E and ORCH-T groups), or oil (OVX and ORCH groups). Female rats in proestrus, intact and 7 d adrenalectomized (ADX) male rats were also studied. At 10:00 h, blood samples were withdrawn via an implanted jugular cannula before (-5 min), during (15, 30, 45, 60 min) and after (90 and 120 min) restraint stress to measure plasma progesterone and corticosterone concentrations by radioimmunoassay. Intact male and proestrus female rats exhibited similar progesterone responses to stress. Gonadectomy did not alter the amount of progesterone secreted during stress in female rats but decreased secretion in male rats. Unlike corticosterone, the progesterone response to stress in females was not influenced by estradiol. In males, testosterone replacement attenuated the progesterone and corticosterone responses to stress. Basal secretion of progesterone among intact, ORCH and ADX males was similar, but ADX-stressed rats secreted little progesterone. Hence, the gonads differently modulate adrenal progesterone and corticosterone responses to stress in female and male rats. The ovaries enhance corticosterone but not progesterone secretion, while the testes stimulate progesterone but not corticosterone secretion.

A specific profile of luteal phase progesterone is associated with the development of premenstrual symptoms

“…In rats (males and females), we found that exposure to restraint stress evoked a parallel increase in secretion of both progesterone and corticosterone from the adrenal cortex (Kalil et al, 2013). Very recently, a parallel stress-induced increase in secretion of cortisol and progesterone has also been reported in humans (men and women) (Juster et al, 2016).…”

Effect of a brief stress on progesterone plasma levels in pregnant and non-pregnant guinea pigs

“…We do not know tbe underlying regulations for tbis collapse of progesterone concentration. Basal plasmatic progesterone and cortisol concentrations were negatively correlated bowever, indicating a possible source of regulation between tbese two steroids (Cballis et al, 1971) as demonstrated in rats (Kalil et al, 2013). Glucocorticoids can affect gonadotropin-releasing bormone (GnRH) and luteinizing bormone (LH) secretions in rodents (Abima & Harlan, 1992;Kononen et al, 1992;Cbandran et al, 1994;Tilbrook et al, 2000).…”

Effects of the Estrous Cycle and Ovarian Hormones on Central Expression of Interleukin-1 Evoked by Stress in Female Rats

“…[66,67]]. A significant contribution of the adrenal gland to Pg production as a stress response in OVX animals has been reported repeatedly [68,69,70]. Ovariectomy also resulted in up-regulation of IL-1 expression in the PVN regardless of stress exposure, suggesting that gonadal steroids exert an immunosuppressive effect on stress-induced cytokine expression.…”